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R.I.P.S.S.

Despite last year being our most successful year to date as a business, it was also our saddest. This is an update to the ABOUT page on our blog, as well as a tribute to a recent, major, loss for our team. My good friend, mentor, and business partner, Sean Matthew Simmons passed away suddenly, from…

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Winterize Your Rigging

Winterizing a boat is very important, but most people forget about the rigging. Sometimes even the sails. This is actually not that much work, it’s just that most people don’t know what this might entail. Here is what we riggers consider when the sailing season comes to a close.   Remove the Halyards, Attach a messenger…

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The Solent Has Its Own Stay!

A stay that gets its name from a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of southern England, the Solent. This traditionally windy place with strong currents can cause rough sea conditions and can make for some interesting sailing, to say the least. This body of water is also famous for hosting one of sailing’s largest events known as Cowes Week. These…

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Cruisers Can Fly Spinnakers Too!

So are you sick of your jib flogging around when you turn the boat down wind? Do you dread heading down wind because you know the boat’s performance will drastically suffer? Somehow the thought of the spinnaker is always nice, but when it really comes down to it, MAN that’s a lot of work! Not…

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Tides Track and Lazy Jacks!

Can’t afford a Boom Furler? Looking for an easier way to hoist, douse, and stow your main or mizzen sails? Well there are two products that you may want to look at. They are called a Tides Marine Strong Track and our very own T.R.C. Lazy Jacks (pictured left). I do realize that many people cringe…

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Which Sealant Should I Choose?

This is an often asked question which seems to have many different answers. Over time we have tried various sealants and have narrowed it down two primary products as our choice of sealant, 3M’s UV4000 and Boat Life Life Calk. Boat Life’s Life Calk provides a long lasting seal that stays flexible through out its lifespan….

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Rod Rigging

    In the world of sailboat standing rigging there are three common materials used, stainless steel wire, Nitronic 50 rod, and various types of synthetic fibers, which are becoming more and more popular. I want to talk today about Nitronic 50 stainless steel rod. This specific type of stainless steel is very strong and noble. Rod…

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Servicing The Chain Plates

The chainplate is typically a metal plate used to fasten a stay to the boat. One end of the chainplate has a hole for the pin of the turnbuckle, the remainder of the chainplate is used to attach the plate to the boat  via a bulkhead, knee, tie rod or the hull itself. Chainplates get their name…

Boom Brakes and Preventers
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Boom Brakes and Preventers

When sailing down wind we eventually may find ourselves having to perform the dreaded gybe.  Depending on conditions and wind strengths, this can be relatively painless or really scary. A violent gybe, which causes the boom to crash from one side of the boat to the other, can cause major damage. In some instances the boom…

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How to Adjust a Turnbuckle

The concept of how to properly adjust a turnbuckle seems to sometimes elude most people. This is understandable as I didn’t used to spend my days thinking about tightening cables, like I do now. So let’s take a moment to discuss how this is done properly. There are generally three different styles of turnbuckles. Yes, there are a…